SF 225 

.MS 

1899 

Copy 1 MASSACHUSETTS DAIRY BUREAU BULLETIN. 



Massachusetts 

Creamery Interests. 



MASSACHUSETTS CREAMERY ASSOCIATION. 

DAIRY INSTITUTES. BUTTER EXHIBITION. 

MASSACHUSETTS CREAMERIES. 



Compiled by 

GEO. M. \\TIITAKER, A.M., 

Acting Executive Officer of the Dairy Bureau. 



BOSTON : 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1899. 



MASSACHUSETTS DAIRY BUREAU BULLETIN. 



Massachusetts 

Creamery Interests. 



MASSACHUSETTS CREAMERY ASSOCIATION. 

DAIRY INSTITUTES. BUTTER EXHIBITION. 

MASSACHUSETTS CREAMERIES. 



AUG 22 mo 



Compiled by 

GEO. M. WHITAKER, A.M., 

Acting Executive Officer of the Dairy Bureau. 



'\\\rtS"-l . 



BOSTON : 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1899. 



^^"^^ 



% 



COJS^TEKTS. 



PAGE 

Creameries in Massachusetts, 5 

Massachusetts Creamery Association, 7 

Officers, 7 

Members, 7 

Constitution, 8 

Massachusetts Dairy Bureau, 10 

Institutes, 11 

Dr. J. B. Lindsey, 11 

Prof. F. S. Cooley, 13 

Butter-makers hints, 12 

Butter exhibition, 17 

Score, 17-18 

* 

Process of making, 18 

C, H. Eckles, 24 

R. F. Jaynes, 30 

H, E. Alvord, 33 



BUTTEE FACTORIES IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



Amherst, co-operative, William A. Magill, treasurer. 

Amherst, Bay State, co-operative, . . . . C. E. Wakefield, treasurer. 

-^ndover Out of business. 

Aahby. 

^s^/«W, co-operative Geo. G. Henry, superintendent. 

Betchertown, co-operative A. W. Morse, president. 

Boston, Austen Street, Boston Dairy Company. 

Boston, Rutherford Avenue David Whiting & Sons. 

Bridgewater, Plymoutli County, co-operative, . . P. O. Clark, treasurer. 

Cambridge, Massachusetts Avenue C. Brigham Company. 

Charlemont, proprietary, T. M. Totman. 

CAesAi?-e, Grey lock, P.O. address, Adams, co-operative, M. L. Curtis, president. 

Chester, co-operative but run as proprietary, . . Springfield Milk Association. 

Conway, co-operative H. W. Billings, treasurer. 

Cummington, co-operative I. H. Steele, superintendent. 

Easthampton, Hampton, co-operative, .... W. H. Wright, treasurer. 

^;^remoni, co-operative, H.O.Harrington, superintendent. 

Fitchburg, proprietary. 

Oranby, co-operative G. L. Witt, president. 

Oroton, co-operative. 

Groton, Lawrence Creamery, proprietary, . . . Swallow & Co. 

Hampden, Springfield Mountain, Out of business. 

Hardwick, proprietary. 
Heath, proprietary. 

Hinsdale, co-operative G. M. Solomon, Treasurer. 

Ipswich, Out of business. 

Lee, co-operative, H. L. Smith, treasurer. 

Leominster. 

Lowell Milk Association. 

Marlborough, proprietary. 

Millbury, singletary, co-operative, . . . , C. N. Woodbury. 

Mill River, Konkapot, co-operative E. Wheeler, treasurer. 

Monson, co-operative O. E. Bradway. 

Montague, co-operative A. W. Lyman. 

Monterey, Berkshire Hills, co-operative, . . . J. A. Townsend, treasurer. 

New Boston, Berkshire, co-operative F. M. Rugg treasurer. 

New Salem, co-operative Wm. A. Moore, superintendent. 

North Brookfield, proprietary H. E. Cummings. 

Northfield, co-operative, L. R. Smith, treasurer. 

North Orange, co-operative, G. H. Moore, manager. 



6 

North Oxford, Cold Brook, co-operative, . . • Walter A. Lovett, treasurer. 

Phillipston, Cloverleaf, proprietary F. T. Ward. 

Rutland, Out of buslnees. 

Sheffield, proprietary Gray, Lee & Co. 

Shelbume Falls, Out of business. 

Southborottgh, proprietary, Deerfoot Farm. 

( Milk Association. 

Springfield ! ,^ _, 

' Chas. M. Bcll, manager. 

State Line, proprietary James Finney. 

?7x6n'd^e, Blackstone Valley, co-operative, . . . N. T. Abells, manager. 
Warren. 

Wellesley, co-operative Edward Lton, treasurer. 

West Acton, co-operative. 

West Dudley Out of business. 

West Kewhury. 

Williamsburg, co-operative, Henry F. Hill, treasurer. 

Worcester, Wachusett, proprietary. 

Worthington, co-operative, C. F. Burr, treasurer. 



MASSACHUSETTS CREAMERY ASSOCIATION. 



Officers. 

President, Charles M. Bull, Springfield, Mass. 

Vice-President, William A, Moore, Millington, Mass. 

Secretary and Treasurer, A. W. Morse, Belchertown, Mass. 

Directors, W. H. Wright, Easthampton, Mass.; A. M. Lyman, 
Montague, Mass. ; T. J. Thurston, Amherst, Mass. ; George L. Witt, 
Granby, Mass. ; M. L. Curtis, Adams, Mass. 

List or Members. 

1. Conway Creamery, Conway, Mass. 

2. Amherst Creamery, Amherst, Mass. 

3. Ashfield Creamery, Ashfield, Mass. 

4. Adams Creamery, Adams, Mass. 

5. Belchertown Creamery, Belchertown, Mass. 

6. Cummington Creamery, Cummington, Mass. 

7. Chester Creamery, Chester, Mass. 

8. Easthampton Creamery, Easthampton, Mass. 

9. Granby Creameiy, Granby, Mass. 

10. Montague Creamery, Montague, Mass. 

11. New Salem Creamery, Millington, Mass. 

12. Northfield Creameiy, Northfield, Mass. 

13. Springfield Creamery, Springfield, IVIass. 

14. Williamsburg Creameiy, Williamsburg, Mass. 

15. Worthington Creamery, Worthington, Mass. 

16. Bay State Creameiy, Amherst, Mass. , 

17. Hardwick Creameiy, Hardwick, Mass. 

18. Charlemont Creamery, Charlemont, Mass. 

Prof. F. S. Cooley, Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



Constitution and By-laws of the Massachusetts 
Creamery Association. 

Article I. 

This association shall be known as the Massachusetts Creamery 
Association. 

Article II. 

The object in forming this association is to protect and advance 
the interests of the milk producers in Massachusetts. 

Article III. 

Any creamery organization or individual engaged in the manu- 
facture of butter may become a member of this association by 
paying the fee of two dollars and subscribing to the constitution 
and by-laws. 

Article TV. 

Any creamery may be represented in the association by more 
than one member, but no creamery shall have more than one vote. 

Article V. 

The officers of this association shall consist of a president, vice- 
president, secretary and treasurer, all elected by ballot, the presi- 
dent and secretary to be also members of the board of directors. 

Article VI. 

The annual meeting of this association shall be held on the 
second Wednesday of February, at which meeting the election of 
officers shall be held. 

Notices of all meetings of this association shall be mailed to 
each member. 

By-laws. 

Article 1. 

Meetings of the directors and members of the association shall 
be called by the clerk, when so directed by the president or a 
majority of the directors. 

Three directors or five members of the association shall con- 
stitute a quorum to transact business. 



9 



Article II. 

It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings 
of the association and board of directors, and to perform all duties 
devolving upon such an officer. 

The vice-president shall, in the absence of the president, per- 
form the duties of the president. 

Article III. 

It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the minutes of each 
meeting of the board of directors and the association. He shall 
issue all notices of meetings, and notify all members when price 
of butter is changed ; also attend to all correspondence necessary 
to the good of the association. 



Article IV. 

The treasurer shall receive all fees and dues, giving his receipt 
therefor. He shall keep a correct account of all funds of the 
association, and shall pay all orders drawn by the secretary. 

Article V. 

The directors shall assess each member of the association, from 
time to time, for such sums as are necessary to pay the running 
expenses of the association. 

Article VI. 

Any member of this association who shall be one year in arrears 
for his dues, after due notice by the secretary, may be dropped 
from the membership of this association by vote of directors. 

Article VII. 

An auditing committee, consisting of two members of this asso- 
ciation, shall be appointed by the president, who shall audit the 
accounts of the secretary and treasurer. 

Article VIII. 

The constitution and by-laws may be altered or amended by a 
two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual meeting. 



10 



MASSACHUSETTS DAIRY BUREAU. 



The Legislature of 1891 created the Dairy Bureau of the 
State Board of Agriculture "in order to secure the better 
enforcement of the provisions of this act [an oleomargarine 
law] , and to promote the improvement of the products of 
the dairy." 

Section 11. It shall be the duty of the said bureau to investi- 
gate all dairy products and imitation dairy products bought or sold 
within the Commonwealth ; to enforce all laws for the manufact- 
ure, transfer and sale of all dairy products and all imitation dairy 
products within the Commonwealth, with all the powers needed 
for the same ; to investigate all methods of butter and cheese 
making in cheese factories or creameries, and to disseminate such 
information as shall be of service in producing a more uniform 
dairy product of higher grade and better quality. 

The members of the Bureau are D. A. Horton of North- 
ampton, J. Lewis Ellsworth of Worcester, and C. D. Rich- 
ardson of West Brookfield. The executive officer of the 
Bureau ex officio is, by the statute, the secretary of the 
Board of Agriculture, Hon. J. W. Stockwell. The acting 
executive officer is Geo. M. Whitaker. 



11 



INSTITUTES. 



In November and December, 1898, four dairy institutes 
were held under the auspices of the Creamery Association 
and Dairy Bureau. They were addressed by Dr. J. B. 
Lindsey of the Hatch Experiment Station, and Prof. F. S. 
Cooley of the Agricultural College ; also by the following 
butter-makers: B. C. Bliss of Chester, Geo. E. Henry of 
Ashfield and O. Harrington of Easthampton. 

The following are some of the points made by Dr. 
Lindsey : — 

It is important to have cows of the dairy type. Special purpose 
cows are best. Usually a farmer can get better results by raising 
his own stock than by buying it. The study of the farmer should 
be to increase the average product of bis cows. The cows at the 
experiment station have produced all the way from 245 to 437 
pounds of butter per year. The standard should be placed at not 
less than 300 pounds. 

More attention should be paid to cleanliness both of animals 
and barns. Barns should have more air and more light than the 
average at present. The walls should be swept several times a 
year and sprayed with a solution of 100 pounds of water and 4 
pounds of carbolic acid. The barn should then be whitewashed. 
Cream will vary in its test from day to day for reasons that are 
not fully understood. There is as yet a great deal of ignorance 
on the cause of these variations. Growing out of these institutes 
the experiment stations will undertake the study of these questions, 
and publish the results as soon as possible. 

At current prices the carbonaceous feeds are cheapest to buy in 
the following order : — 

1. Cornmeal. 

2. Hominy meal and Victor corn and oat feed. 

3. Quaker oat feed. 

4. Oat feeds. 

5. Chopped feeds. 



12 

The nitrogenous feeds rank in order of cheapness at current 
prices as follows : — 

1. Gluten meal and gluten feeds. 

2. Cotton-seed. 

3. Dry brewers' grains. 

4. "Wheat middlings. 

5. "Wheat bi-an and middlings. 

6. Wheat bran. 

7. Linseed meal and H-0 feeds. 

A good ration consists of one-third cornmeal, one-third gluten 
and one-third wheat bran. "Wheat bran, though not ranked high 
in cheapness, is advantageous to mix with others on account of 
bulk. About six quarts per day of this mixture can be fed to 
average cows. Corn furnishes the cheapest and best feeds, corn- 
meal leading in the carbonaceous class and gluten in the nitrogenous. 

The Babcock system of paying for milk or cream is the most 
equitable plan there is, paying each farmer for precisely what 
butter fat he furnishes to the creamery. 

The importance of having first-class cream gatherers should be 
emphasized. A cream gatherer should not be a mere truckman, 
but should be enough of an expert to understand the differences in 
the quality of cream, and to refuse to accept that which is not all 
right. 

Butter-maker Bliss of Chester presented the importance 
of every creamery having one responsible manager with full 
powers, the necessity of the latest and best machinery and 
best methods, and the importance of a good butter-maker 
and treating him well. A cheap butter-maker is an expen- 
sive one. The Chester Creamery changed from the space 
system to the Babcock system five years ago, being the first 
creamery in the State to make the change. This imposed 
much extra work on the butter-maker, but it is the only cor- 
rect system ; by it the farmer can increase the quality of his 
herd, and weed out poor cows. 

Butter-maker Burgess of the Granby creamery alluded 
particularly the aid of acid test tablets, and to the impor- 
tance of stirring the cream when it is ripening. The more 
it is stirred the better the butter. 

Mr. George Henry, the butter-maker of Ashfield creamery, 
read a paper on some of the trials of butter-makers. Among 
these are taints in cream due to sudden chancre of feed or to 



13 

feeding such things as cabbage, turnips, etc. More atten- 
tion should be paid to cleanliness. Last year the Ashfield 
creamery introduced forty separators, which not only pre- 
vented waste of butter fat, but produced cleaner cream and 
improved quality of butter. The cleaning of dairy utensils 
is too much neglected ; they should first be carefully rinsed 
in lukewarm water, then scalded and placed in racks to dry 
and air. Too many farmers are careless about putting in an 
ample supply of ice ; it gives out in August, causing trouble 
the remainder of the season. Farmers supplying cream to 
a co-operative creamery should bear in mind that he who 
injures himself injures his neighbor. The introduction of 
the Babcock system of paying for milk has been a great help 
in locating poor cream. 

Butter-maker Harrington of Easthampton emphasized the 
importance of co-operation in the quality of cream sent to 
the creamery. Any reputable butter-maker with the ma- 
chinery at his disposal can make good butter ; if there is a 
failure to do so the chances are that the fault is with some 
of those who supply cream. It is as much for their interest 
to co-operate in furnishing as fine a product as possible as it 
is for them to co-operate in subscribing for stock or in at- 
tending the annual meetings to elect officers and hear reports. 
One careless farmer in a dozen may lower the quality of the 
product of the whole and reduce the income of not only 
himself but all his brother farmers who carry cream to the 
same creamery. It is for the mutual advantage of every 
one to be as cleanly as possible in all methods ; to have a 
good supply of ice or cool running water ; to keep the cool- 
ing tank scrupulously clean ; to pay every possible attention 
to details. 

Kesume of Addresses by F. S. Cooley. 
Improving the Dairy Qovu 

1. Improve the Quality of Stock. — Breed better dairy cows. 
Do not depend so much on purchase. Cows on the market are 
commonly the breeder's culls, sold for a reason. The most certain 
and cheapest way of securing No. 1 cows is by breeding them. 

2. Selection of a Sire. — Not enough care is taken in choosing 
a breeding bull. " The bull is half the herd " is an old saying ; 



14 

if grade cows are mated with a pure-bred sire he becomes three- 
fourths the herd. If in addition to purity of blood the bull pos- 
sesses a rich inheritance from his nearest female ancestors, and is 
known to transmit his qualities with certainty, he becomes as a 
power for good not only half but nine-tenths the herd. 

3. Difference in Value between a Scrub and a Valuable Bull. — 
The average farmer would pay $3 for a heifer calf from a superior 
sire as quickly as Si for a heifer calf from a scrub. Estimate 
forty calves annually from each sire, one-half of them bulls at $1 
each, and the value of the get of the scrub bull is S40, while that 
of the other is S80. There is no difference in cost of feed and 
care. The $40 difference in earnings will pay interest at 6 per 
cent, taxes at 2 per cent and depreciation at 25 per cent on $120 
difference in price of the animals. In other words, if a scrub 
bull is worth $30, a first-class bull is worth $150 as a business 
investment. Heifers from the scrub bull will be worth $40 each 
at maturity, while those of the first-class bull will be worth $65 
each, — a cool $25 difference. If the breeder rears ten heifers 
each year for four years, forty in all, this difference amounts to 
$1,000 in favor of a good sire over a scrub. 

4. Qualities of a Good Bull. — a. Good individuality. The 
first point in a bull is his own appearance. No pedigree will save 
a worthless specimen. He must stand on his own merits as much 
as on inheritance. 

b. Good pedigree. The average quality of the three to seven 
nearest female ancestors must be high. Top crosses are most 
important in judging pedigree. 

c. Prepotency. The demonstrated power of a bull to stamp 
his own high qualities on his get is of utmost importance. To 
this end use a bull sparingly until his first calves appear. If 
these seem poor dispose of him, if good, continue him in service 
as long as his breeding powers last. I have no patience with 
breeders who never keep a bull long enough to test his heifers. I 
know of several breeders who have lately purchased bulls from 
eight to eleven years of age to head fine herds. 

5. Health of Cows. — Too little attention is given to stable 
sanitation and ventilation. Often cows are confined in stables 
with only three hundred cubic feet of air, equivalent to keeping 
a man in a room six feet long, two feet wide and five feet high. 
No constitution can stand such confinement. The reason for so 
much tuberculosis is just here, and the remedy, in the main, is 
admission of pure air and sunlight. 

6. Cleanliness. — Neatness in producing and handling milk is 
often overlooked. Creameries and milkmen should regularly in- 



15 

spect dairies and adopt plans for securing greater cleanliness and 
sanitary precautions in the production of their milk and cream. 

7. State Inspection. — It is unfortunate that our State has 
gone to such extremes in the inspection of its cattle. A system 
of inspection with view to removing causes of disease and pro- 
moting general health would be worth far more than the mere 
killing off of diseased cattle. 

Variations in the BahcocTc Test. 

1. The Babcock test is accurate and reliable. Variations are 
due to faulty manipulation or to variations in samples tested. 

2. With regard to faulty manipulation, there should be State 
supervision of operators, each person doing testing on a commer- 
cial scale to be examined and licensed by proper authority. 

3. Co-operation in testing would lessen chances of error, and 
reduce the expense of the work. If ten or a dozen creameries 
would combine and employ the same expert tester, dividing the 
expense, the work could be carried on with greater economy, and 
to the better satisfaction of patrons. 

4. Milk varies in its butter fat, and hence in the reading of 
the Babcock test in many ways. 

a. The more advanced the period of lactation the higher the 

test. 

h. The shorter the time between milkings the higher the test. 
Eegularity of milking and attendance favor quality. 

c. Breed is a most potent factor in determining butter fat in 
milk. Individuality also plays an important part. 

d. Feed has little influence on the percentage of fat in milk. 

e. Age of cow affects quality of milk. Heifers give a poorer 
milk with first calf than after they come to maturity. 

/. The first milk drawn from the udder is much poorer in fat 
than the strippings, the latter often testing 8 to 10 per cent., while 
the first milk from the same cows tests only 1 to 2 per cent. It is 
therefore desirable to milk cows clean, and to give sucking calves 
the first milk rather than the strippings. 

g. Fright, fatigue, abuse, irregularity and illness all have a 
tendency to impoverish milk in butter fat, owing very likely to re- 
sorption or retention of the last and richest portion. 

5. Cream varies in a general way in its fat content as does 
milk, but is subject in a greater degree to external conditions than 
to the milk from which it is taken. 

6. The method of separation of cream determines its richness 
in a large degree. Separator cream is produced in all grades. 
Cream from shallow pans is heavy. Cooley cream is light. 



16 

7. Cooley cream varies widely in composition and is by no 
means a certain basis of comparison. 

a. Cooley cream varies according to age, thickness, and be- 
coming richer on standing. 

6. It is thinner and larger in quantity if raised rapidly by 
liberal use of ice and a low temperature. 

c. Jersey cows produce a heavier cream than Holstein-Friesians. 

d. The season of the year and lactation period also affect the 
per cent of fat in cream. 

Question. Mr. Morse. Is cream from strippers which give 
rich milk richer or poorer than cream from fresh cows. 

Ansiver. As cows advance in lactation the milk becomes richer, 
but the fat globules diminish in size. As a result, more of the 
milk serum is carried upwards with the fat into the cream. The 
cream is therefore somewhat poorer in fat but considerably more 
in quantity. 

Question. Why do cows fall off in quality of cream during hot 
weather in August. 

Dr. LiNDSEr. Because the heat and torments of flies diminish 
the milk flow, and cause the cows to withhold the secretion of the 
milk of richest quality. 



17 



BUTTEE-MAKERS' DAY. 



A butter exhibition and institute were held at Amherst, at 
the agricultural college, Feb. 23, 1899. 

In the butter exhibition there were 17 entries of creamery 
butter in competition for the premiums, 5 specimens of 
creamery butter for exhibition only, 6 samples of dairy 
butter for exhibition, 11 specimens from the college dairy 
school and 1 exhibit of American butter which had been 
exported and returned to this country, — 41 in all. The 
highest score was 96.5, on a box made by a student at the 
dairy school. The lowest score was 83, — a sample of 
"renovated butter" which had been placed in the exhi- 
bition. The prizes went to the butter makers at the cream- 
eries as follows : — 

1. New Salem, score 95.5. 

2. Springfield, score 95. 

3. North Orange, score 94.25. 

The judges were Messrs. Harris of Hovey & Co., Mr. 
Bent of Crosby Bros. & Co., and J. Harvey White of J. H. 
White & Co., all of Boston and all practical handlers of 
butter. 

The complete score is as follows : — 



NAME. 


Flavor. 


Grain. 


Color, 


Bait. 


Package. 


Total. 


Amherst, .... 


35.00 


24.00 


14.00 


10.00 


6 


88.00 


North Brookfield, 




36.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


91.00 


Granby, 




39.00 


24.50 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


93.00 


Williamsburg, 






38.50 


25.00 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


93.00 


Greylock, 






37.00 


25.00 


13.50 


10.00 


5 


90.50 


New Salem, . 






40.50 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.50 


Chester, 






35.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


90.00 


Northfield, . 






35.00 


25.00 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


89.50 


Egremont, 






36.00 


25.00 


14.75 


10.00 


5 


90.75 


Bay State, . 






38.00 


24.50 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


92.50 


North Orange, 






40.25 


25.00 


14.00 


10.00 


5 


94.25 


Conway, 






34.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


89.00 


Montague, 






39.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


94.00 


Easthampton, 






38.00 


25.50 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


92.50 


Charlemont, . 






38.75 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


93.75 


Ashfleld, 






36.00 


24.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


90.00 


Springfield, . 






40.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.00 



18 



Creamery for Exhibition only. 



NAME. 


Flavor. 


Grain. 


Color. 


Salt. 


Package. 


Total. 


Springfield 

Chester, .... 

Northfield 

Jayties, 

Jaynes 


40.75 
35.00 
35.50 
38.00 
36.00 


25.00 
24.50 
24.50 
25.00 
25.00 


15.00 
15.00 
15.00 
15.00 
15.00 


10.00 
9.50 
10.00 
10.00 
10.00 


5 
5 
5 
5 
5 


95.75 
89.00 
90.00 
93.00 
91.00 



Dairy for Exhibition only. 



Talberg 


35.00 


24.25 


14.00 


10.00 


6 


88.25 


Lyman 


38.00 


25.00 


14.00 


10.00 


5 


92.00 


Leach 


38.00 


24.50 


13.50 


10.00 


5 


91.00 


Gray 


40.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.00 


Church, .... 


39.50 


25.00 


14.75 


10.00 


5 


94.25 


Pasteurized, .... 


34.00 


25.00 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


88.50 



Renovated or " Process " Butter. 



30.00 23.00 15.00 10.00 



Dairy School. 



1, 


36.50 


25.00 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


91.00 


2, 


37.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


92.00 


3 


40.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.00 


4, 


38.00 


24.50 


14.50 


9.00 


5 


91.50 


5 


37.00 


24.75 


14.50 


10.00 


5 


91.25 


6 


40.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.50 




37.00 


24.50 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


91.50 


8 


41.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


96.00 


9 


40.00 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


95.00 


10 


37.50 


24.50 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


92.00 


11, 


41.50 


25.00 


15.00 


10.00 


5 


96.50 



The following reports were made as to the details of maD- 
ufacturing the butter exhibited. The Springfield exhibit 
reported on last is one that was entered for exhibition only, 
but that scored higher than the 



specimen tub in the compe- 



tition. 



At what Temperature was Cream churned? 

Williamsburg — Sixty-seven degrees, Springfield — Fifty 
degrees ; cream tested 43 per cent fat. Gliarlemont — Sixty- 
four degrees, square box churn containing 400 gallons being 
used. Egremont — Sixty-four degrees. Granhy — Sixty- 
five degrees. Montague — Sixty degrees. Easthanvpion — 
Sixty-six degrees. jSFeto Salem — Sixty-four degrees. North 



19 

Brookfield — Sixty-four degrees. Adams — Fifty-eight de- 
grees. Bci]/ State — Sixty-six degrees. Springfield — Sixty- 
two degrees. 

How LONG WAS IT CHURNED? 

Williamsburg — Probably thirty-five minutes. Spring- 
field — Thirty minutes. Qharlemont — One hour. Egre- 
mont — Forty minutes. Granby — About thirty minutes. 
Montague — About forty-five minutes. Easthampton — 
Forty-five minutes. Neio Salem — About one hour. North 
Broohfield — Thirty minutes. Adams — Fifty-five minutes. 
Bay State — Thirty-five minutes. Springfield exhibition 
tub — forty minutes. 

By what Method was Cream separated? 
Williamsburg — Cooley system. Springfield — De Laval 
separator. Qharlemont — Cooley system and separator. 
Egremont — Cooley system. Granby — Cooley system. 
Montague — Cooley system and De Laval separator. East- 
hampton — Cooley system. New Salem — Cooley system. 
North Broohfield — Cooley system. Adams — Cooley sys- 
tem, De Laval and United States separators. Bay State — 
Cooley system. Springfield exhibition tub — Cooley system. 

How Old was Cream when it reached the Creamery? 
Williamsburg — Oldest was four days. Springfield — 
Forty-eight hours old when ripening began. Charlemont 
— From one to four days, owing to blockaded roads. 
Egremont — Two days. Granby — One and two days. 
Montague — One and two days. Easthampton — Twelve 
hours. New Salem — Three days. North Brookfield — 
Twelve hours. Adams — Three days. Bay State — Twenty- 
four hours. Springfield exhibition tub — Cream gathered 
in Chester and shipped to Springfield ; gathered twice a 
week, hence some of the cream was four days old when 
received at Springfield. 

How long was the Cream ripened? 
Williamsburg — Eighteen hours. Springfield — Twenty- 
four hours. Charlemont — Cream arrived Saturday and 
ripened over Sunday. Egremont — Over night. Granby 



20 

— About fifteen hours. Montague — About twenty-four 
hours. Easthampton — Thirteen hours. New Salem — 
Twenty hours. JVbrth Broohfield — Twelve hours. Adams 

— Twelve hours. Bay State — Twelve hours. Springfield 
exhibition tub — Thirty-six hours. 

Was any Starter used and What? 
Williamsburg — -Sour cream, about one gallon to thirty. 
Springfield — None. Charlemont — Douglas culture ; we 
have used for two years. Egremont — Buttermilk. Granby 

— Buttermilk. Montague — None. Easthampton — Butter- 
milk. JSfew Salem — Buttermilk. North Brookfield — 
None. Adams — None. Bay State. — Sour cream ; one 
pail to three hundred and fifty gallons. Springfield exhibi- 
tion tub — None. 

What was the Temperature of Cream during ripening ? 
Williamsburg — Sixty-seven degrees. Springfield — 
Seventy degrees. Charlemont — As near sixty-four de- 
grees as we could hold. Egremont — Sixty-four degrees. 
Granby — Sixty-five degrees. Montague — Sixty-four de- 
grees. Easthampton — Sixty-six degrees. New Salem — 
Sixty-four degrees. North Brookfield — Sixty degrees. 
Adams — Sixty-four degrees. Bay Stati — Sixty-six de- 
grees. Springfield exhibition tub — Sixty-seven degrees. 

At what Degree of Acidity was Cream churned? 
Williamsburg — Do not know. Springfield — Made no 
test. Charlemont — Do not use acid test. Egremont — Do 
not know. Granby — Do not know ; should judge from 5.5 
to 6 per cent. Montague — Do not know. Easthampton — 
About 6 per cent. Neio Salem — Six per cent. SpiHng- 
field exhibition tub — Six and one-half per cent. 

How DID You DETERMINE WHEN CrEAM AVAS READY TO 
BE CHURNED ? 

Williamsburg — Judged by general appearance. Spring- 
field — Judged by general appearance, thickness, smooth- 
ness, etc. Charlemont — By that *' know how" that is 



21 

obtained by years of experience. How can the acid test 
fellow be all right when he has churn room for only part at 
a time, and the other part must wait two hours ? Granhy — 
By appearance. Montague — By taste and thickness of 
cream. Easthampton — By judgment and the Farrington 
test. New Salem — By judgment and the Farrington test. 
North Brookjield — Churned sweet cream, being short of 
time. Adams — Used my judgment. Bay State — By 
taste. Springfield exhibition tub — Farrington test. 

Coloring Matter. 
Williamsburg — Wells, Richardson & Co., 1 dram to 
about 32 pounds of butter. Springfield — Thatcher orange 
butter color. Charlemont — Wells, Richardson & Co., 4 
ounces to 500 pounds of butter. Egremont — Wells, Rich- 
ardson & Co., 3^ ounces to 400 pounds of butter. Granby 

— Hensen Danish butter color, 1^ ounces to 100 pounds of 
butter. Montague — Wells, Richardson & Co., \^ ounces 
to 200 pounds of butter. Easthampton — Thatcher orange 
butter color, 2 ounces to 300 pounds of butter. Neiu Salem 

— Wells, Richardson & Co. North Broohfield — Wells, 
Richardson & Co. Adarns — Wells, Richardson & Co., | 
ounce to 100 pounds of butter. Bay State — Wells, Rich- 
ardson & Co., 3 ounces to 300 pounds of butter. Spring- 
field exhibition tub — Thatcher orange butter color. 

How Many Times was Butter washed? 
Williamsburg — Twice. Springfield — Twice. Charle- 
mont — Twice. Egremont — Twice. Granby — Twice. 
Montague — Once. Easthampton — Twice. Neto Salem 

— Twice. North Broohfield — Three times. Adams — 
Twice. Bay State — Twice. Springfield exhibition tub — 
Twice. 

Did You remove All the Buttermilk? 
Williamsburg — Most of it. Springfield — Thoroughly 
washed. Charlemont — Yes, most emphatically. Egre- 
mont — Aim to wash it all out. Granby — Remove all. 
Montague — Remove enough to leave butter in proper shape. 
Easthampton — Remove all. Nev) Salem — Remove all. 



22 

North BrooTcfield — Remove all. Adams — Aim to remove 
all. Bay State — Wash as clean as possible. Sjpringjield 
exhibition tub — Wash thoroughly. 

Amount and Kind of Salt? 
Williamsburg — Genesee 1\ ounces to 1 pound of butter. 
Springfield — Genesee, 1 ounce to 1 pound of butter. 
Gharlemont — Diamond Crystal, 8 pounds to 100 pounds of 
butter. Egremont — Genesee, 1 ounce to 1 pound of but- 
ter. Granby — Diamond Crystal, 1|- ounce to 1 pound of 
butter. Montague — Worcester, 1 ounce to 1 pound of 
butter. JEasthampton — Genesee, 1|^ ounces to 1 pound 
of butter. JSTeiu Salem' — Worcester, 1\ ounces to 1 pound 
of butter. Adams — Genesee, 1 ounce to 1 pound of batter. 
Bay State — Cayuga, 1 ounce to 1 pound of butter. Spring- 
field exhibition tub — Genesee, f ounce to 1 pound of butter. 

HoAv WAS Salt applied? 
Williamsburg — After butter was rinsed salt was sifted 
on in three lots. Springfield — Applied on the worker. 
Gharlemont — Salted in churn after second washing, one- 
half the salt being put upon the granules. Egremont — 
On the worker. Granby — In the churn. Montague — In 
the churn. Easthampton — On the worker. New Salem — 
On the worker. North Brookfield — In the churn. Adams 
— In the churn. Bay State — Part before starting the 
worker, the rest sprinkled on afterwards. Springfield ex- 
hibition tub — On the worker. 

Method of working, etc. 
Williamsburg — Partially worked in churn ; after stand- 
ing two hours, worked with Vermont Farm Machine Com- 
pany's worker. Springfield — Worked twice on a Mason 
worker, twelve hours apart. Gharlemont — One-half the 
salt is put upon the granules, then the churn turned half over 
and the rest put upon the exposed side ; then run the churn 
fast until mixed, and slow until gathered. Work on Ver- 
mont Farm Machine Company's worker. Egremont — 
Spread salt evenly by hand, then work about ten minutes 
through Mason worker. Granby — Work in churn four 



23 

minutes, then on band worker. 3Iontague — Butter is taken 
from churn to a Mason worker and from this to the cooler ; in 
about ten hours it is worked again on hand worker. East- 
hamjiton — Worked once about ten minutes on National 
worker. N'eio Salem — After working in salt on worker 
and standing three and one-half hours, work again on Mason 
worker. North Brookfield — Work once on Mason worker. 
Adams — Use Mason worker ; work twice five hours apart. 
Bay State — Work once about seven minutes with a National 
worker, running four revolutions to a minute. Springfield 
exhibition tub — Work twice twelve hours apart on a Mason 
worker. 

How WAS THE Tub prepared? 
Williamsburg — Steamed, then soaked in cold water, then 
salt rubbed into the wood. Springfield — Steamed and 
soaked in brine. Charlemont — Steamed thoroughly, then 
soaked in cold water until thoroughly cool. Egremont — 
Soaked about thirty minutes. Gvanby — Soaked over night. 
Montague — Washed with hot water, soaked in cold water, 
then lined with paper. Easthampton — Scalded, then soaked 
thirty minutes in strong brine. JSleio Salem — Soaked in 
cold water and lined with parchment paper. North Brook- 
field — Soaked in brine. Adams — Soaked over night in 
brine, then lined with parchment paper. Bay State — 
Soaked twelve hours in cold water. Springfield — Tubs 
scalded, then soaked with brine. 



24 



CREAM RIPENING AND BUTTER FLAVOR. 



Bt C. H. Eckleb, Iowa Agricultural College, Dairy School, 



I am a trifle uncertain how to address this assembly. My 
knowledge of the special features of Massachusetts dairying and 
the Dairy Association is rather limited, as my first visit to your 
State was when I arrived to begin work in the dairy school. My 
native State is Iowa. The conditions there and in the other 
Mississippi valley States are of course somewhat different from 
your conditions. The milk business, which seems to take the 
attention of so many Massachusetts dairymen, is seldom heard of 
there, but almost every little town has a creamery. The system 
of operation is different from the common methods here. The 
milk is usually taken to the creamery and separated instead of the 
cream alone being gathered. The dairy business of that country 
has become simply enormous. According to the last report of the 
Iowa dairy commissioner that State has now over one thousand 
creameries, and sent something like 93,000,000 pounds of creamery 
butter outside its borders last year. This in addition to the 
amount which was consumed by the two and a half million people 
of the State. 

The methods of conducting the creamery business are, as I said, 
somewhat different from the methods in vogue here ; yet the prin- 
ciples remain the same. The flavor of butter is produced by the 
same causes in both localities, and the methods of controlling its 
production must be identical. The problems to be solved and 
diflSculties to be overcome are much the same everywhere. Flavor 
is always the most important factor in determining the market 
value of butter. The difference between good and poor butter is 
mostly a difference in flavor. The usual system of scoring gives 
flavor 45 to 50 out of 100 points, showing its relative importance. 

Every one of your butter-makers will agree that the hardest 
thing in connection with the making of good butter is to get the 
flavor right and uniform. One day the flavor may be as desired, 
possibly the next day everything is done exactly the same, but the 
flavor is not the same, or possibly is even very poor. Butter- 
makers will admit these statements as they are facts of universal 
experience. 



25 

In the discussion of our subject it is necessary to consider what 
constitutes butter flavor and how it is produced. This is neces- 
sary before the methods of controlling the flavor and securing the 
desired uniformity of quality are discussed. Experience and ex- 
perimentation have taught us that the souring or ripening of the 
cream is inseparably connected with the production of butter 
flavor. Whether your butter is good or bad will depend mostly 
upon the process of ripening which has taken place in the milk 
and cream. We generally speak of cream as ripening, but as a 
matter of fact the milk ripens just as the cream, and the character 
of the ripening of the cream will be largely that of the ripening 
started in the milk. Sweet cream butter has very little flavor. 
Sour cream butter has a good or bad flavor, depending upon the 
ripening. If your butter is not good do not put the blame upon 
the feed of the cow, unless as, in a few cases, wild onions or 
strong weeds of some kind are eaten. Many experiments have 
demonstrated that ordinary feeds have but very little influence 
on the flavor. Feeds affect the color and hardness of butter, as 
every one has noticed when cows are first turned to pasture. 
Under ordinary conditions the ripening or souring produces the 
flavor which is found in the butter. 

We will first consider what really constitutes the process of 
cream ripening. The process is a kind of fermentation, just as 
the formation of alcohol or vinegar is a fermentation. The cause 
of the fermentation which takes place in cream is the growth and 
development of an immense number of bacteria. The proper 
ripening of cream takes place when the right kind of bacteria 
produce the fermentation, and the process is allowed to proceed to 
exactly the right point. Some bacteria produce substances that 
give fine flavors, others produce butter which is almost worthless. 
The chemical nature of the substances constituting the flavor is 
not known, but it is probable they are decomposition products 
from the milk sugar. 

In making experiments in cream ripening this last year the im- 
portant connection between fermentation and flavor was fully de- 
monstrated. To show the effect of the kind of ripening on butter 
flavor we took a sample of tainted milk and secured from this a 
pure culture of bacteria that is common in dirt and filth, possibly 
the most common of all ; it is called the hay bacillus ; its scientific 
name is bacilhis siibtiUus. From another lot of milk another pure 
culture was secured, this an acid-producing species which was 
known to make good butter. Some cream was pasteurized ; this 
of course removed all bacteria that could produce flavor. The 
cream was divided into two lots. To one was added a starter of 



26 

the dirt bacteria, to the other the one which produced good butter. 
The cream was ripened the same from both and the butter made 
the same. The butter was sent to market in tubs exactly alike. 
The commission merchant to whom the two lots were shipped 
knew nothing regarding their contents. He was asked to score 
and sell each on the regular market. The butter from the filth 
bacteria scored 83 and sold for 14 cents per pound. The other 
scored 95 and sold for 20 cents. Everything was the same ex- 
cept the bacteria which caused the ripening. Here was a differ- 
ence of 6 cents per pound in the value of the butter. This 
was of course an extreme case, but without doubt hundreds of 
creameries are losing thousands of dollars each year because the 
cream ripens improperly, because it contains injurious kinds of 
bacteria. This is true in the west, and, I doubt not, is here also, 
and considerable of the trouble can be avoided if the creamery 
operator uses the proper methods. One of the Iowa dairy school 
instructors is often sent to creameries that are unable to produce 
the desired quality of butter and he assists them to fix the trouble 
and provide a rem-edy. In all cases a few days' instruction has 
been sufficient to raise the quality of butter to first class. At the 
present time we have no appropriation to pay the expense of such 
visits and the creameries are required to pay the expenses them- 
selves. We are hoping to have a provision made for a travelling 
instructor to go from creamery to creamery the year around. 
The methods this instructor generally uses to correct these faults 
are to require strict cleanliness about the building and utensils, 
rejecting milk which has not been cared for in such a manner as 
to prevent it from becoming tainted, and by the use of good 
starters. These are all applications of the principles of bacteri- 
ology. This is mentioned simply to show the practical importance 
and application of this question for fear it will be thought practical 
considerations have been made secondary to theory. Although we 
do not stop to consider it, we are dealing with bacteria and their 
work in every part of the dairy industry. To a large extent our 
success depends upon the manner in which we are able to control 
them. It is well to bear in mind that almost all the tastes and 
odors we find in milk, other than those of natural milk, come from 
some kind of bacteria. Those that produce the souring of milk 
should be considered the special friends of the butter-maker. I 
fully believe this fermentation alone is the one we want for butter- 
making. During the past year we made a series of examinations 
of cream ripened under the best natural conditions when just 
ready for churning. We determined the number of bacteria in 
each cubic centimeter and the proportion which were acid pro- 



27 

ducers. This latter class we found to constitute from 90 to 98 
per cent of the total number of bacteria. The cream from which 
the butter was made that scored second among the 500 entries at 
the national butter-makers' convention in 1898 was among the lot 
examined. When pasteurized cream was ripened with pure cult- 
ures of this acid bacteria, a first-class butter-flavor was produced 
with the natural high aroma. 

The souring germs do not come from filth and dirt, but the 
dozens of Ivinds which do find their natural homes in such places 
are the ones which produce bad flavors and odors. These germs 
exist by the millions in the excreta from animals. We see then 
why cleanliness is always so very essential in all parts of the 
dairy industry, as was learned long ago by experience, although 
the real reason was not known. Although not pleasant to think 
about, it is undoubtedly true that the dirt and manure which get 
into milk are themselves not sufficient to give any taste to the but- 
ter, if there is nothing else there but the dirt. What does produce 
the injurious results with which we are all familiar are these bac- 
teria that are in the dirt. They decompose the milk just as they 
decompose animal or vegetable bodies or whatever they may be 
growing in, and it is not strange that all kinds of disagreeable 
flavors result. 

Good clean milk then is absolutely essential to produce the best 
results. No butter-maker can take milk foul with dirt and filth 
and all that goes with them and make a first-class product. There 
are, of course, certain ways in which such milk can be improved 
and the injurious results somewhat averted. What we want to 
produce a good butter flavor is cream that will sour with no other 
taste, especially of unpleasant taints suggestive of filth contamin- 
ation. To secure this there are two points to be always kept in 
mind : — 

First. — Undesirable fermentations must be kept out. This is 
mostly a question of cleanliness and rejection of milk that has 
been handled in an uncleanly condition. I cannot go into details 
here, but will say the filth from the cow herself which drops into 
the pail during milking causes a large part of the trouble in mak- 
ing butter. Unclean utensils probably come next. The condition 
of the air in which milk is kept is important, but under ordinary 
conditions is far less harmful. 

Second. — The second point to be kept in mind is that desirable 
fermentations must be present. That is, those which cause a sour- 
ing. Simply keeping bad flavor out is not always sufficient. The 
germs that produce the good flavor must be added if not already 
there. This is accomplished by the use of starters. As used in 



28 

dairying a starter is a portion of milk or buttermilk containing a 
large number of the germs of fermentation supposed to give a 
good flavor. The purpose of its use is sometimes to hasten the 
souring but its greatest value is in controlling the flavor. I con- 
sider the use of a starter as absolutely necessary if the butter- 
maker expects to make a uniform high-grade butter. Under the 
best conditions, that is, when the milk is clean, free from filth 
bacteria, as it is more apt to be in the summer, good butter can 
be made with no starter, probably sometimes just as good as with 
one, but at least in the State with which I am the most familiar it 
is almost impossible to make good butter in the winter time with- 
out a starter. 

In Denmark, where butter-making is probably carried on under 
the most careful conditions of any, a good starter is considered 
of the greatest importance. As to the kind of starter to use, I 
would say some of the commercial starters, especially the one put 
on the market by Mr. Douglas of Boston, will give good results, 
but I believe with proper care a natural starter can be made that 
is just as good as any commercial starter. When a starter is in 
the proper condition it has a sharp acid taste, with no unclean 
disagreeable taste or odor. It does not whey off as soon as it 
thickens, but remains in a solid curd with no bubbles showing gas. 
The only way to tell when a starter is right is by the taste and 
odor, and the user should learn to judge this correctly. The 
method of making a skim-milk starter taught by the Iowa dairy 
school I think is about as successful as any. Four or five clean 
pint jars are filled with milk from different patrons or different 
cans. These are covered and placed in a warm place until they 
are coagulated. They are then examined and tasted, and one 
selected which meets the requirements as given before. Then a 
can of skim-milk equal to 6 or 8 per cent, of the amount of cream 
you expect to ripen the next day is taken. This is placed in a 
tank of water heated by steam until the milk reaches pasteurizing 
temperature, 155 degrees. It is then allowed to stand ten or 
fifteen minutes, then placed in cold water and cooled to 75 or 80 
degrees and the selected jar of good sour milk added. If kept at 
the proper temperature in twenty-four hours the entire amount is 
soured in the same condition ready for use as a starter. The 
starter is kept ten days or two weeks, or as long as it remains 
good, by pasteurizing more milk each day and adding a dipperful 
of the old starter. 

The temperature at which cream is ripened is not so material if 
the ripening is stopped at the proper stage. It can be ripened at 
55 or 90 degrees. At high temperature it must be watched very 



29 

closely as ripening advances very rapidly. However, I prefer 
about 70 to 75 degrees in the winter time and 65 to 75 in the 
summer. 

Some means of testing the acidity of cream is very useful. 
"When not soon enough the butter shows a lack of flavor, if ripened 
too high the flavor is at times somewhat rancid. For this purpose 
the Mann's acid test or Farrington's tablets are useful, and especi- 
ally useful to those who are somewhat inexperienced. Without 
some such test the butter-maker simply guesses at conditions which 
the average man can hardly be relied upon to interpret. 



30 



GOLD MEDAL BUTTER. 



By R. F. Jatnes, Ryegate, Vt. 



I commenced the butter business twenty-one years ago- Thir- 
teen years I spent in New York, and when I left there six years 
ago and came to Vermont I thought I was quite a butter-maker. 
As I look back over those thirteen years I can see I was only 
starting on the road to my chosen profession. I expect to learn 
more about butter-making in the next five years than I have in the 
past twenty-one. And I tell you, boys, we can get some good 
ideas from each other here, and by experimenting on them derive 
a great deal of benefit from this meeting. 

It will be easy for me to tell you how I make butter, but years 
of experience, and especially the experience this winter at the 
dairy school at Burlington show that conditions vary, and you 
cannot make butter in just the same way everywhere. At Bur- 
lington I often churned at 54 to 56 degrees and had butter iu 
fifteen to twenty minutes with only .06 to .12 per cent of fat in 
the buttermilk, while at home I have to churn forty to sixty min- 
utes at 58 to 62 degrees, and leave .1 to .2 per cent of fat in the 
buttermilk. 

I give the man that takes the milk strict orders not to take one 
can of milk that is off in any way. 

We enjoy a reputation on our butter second to none in uniform- 
ity. I often have butter-men in Boston ask why neighboring 
creameries have butter off every once in a while, while ours is 
always the same. To us this is a great benefit, as we cater only 
to the fancy trade and must have butter of fine quality every day. 

Now, starting with good milk, if your strainer becomes dirty, 
change for a clean one ; it is hurtful to sift new warm milk through 
dirt or filth. It is worse than patrons leaving their cans standing 
in the barn exposed to undesirable odors. 

I separate milk at a temperature of 75 to 80 degrees, which 
leaves the cream 70 to 72 degrees when the run is done. I leave 
it at this temperature, stirring often, as it is impossible to get an 
exhaustive churning unless the cream is thoroughly mixed during 



31 

the ripening process. I do not commence to cool it until it shows 
acid enough so I can cool it down to churning point and hold it 
there at least three hours before churning. I find that this is of 
more importance to produce an exhaustive churning than it is to 
the quality of the butter ; why, I cannot tell. 

I experimented on this a great deal at Burlington, and my 
highest tests of buttermilk were from cream not cooled the night 
before churning. I wish you would test your buttermilk from 
cream cooled just before churning and from cream that has stood 
at the churning point not less than three hours, and write me the 
results. I know of butter-makers that cool their cream to churn- 
ing point by putting ice directly into the cream in the churn and 
letting it cool down as they churn. I wish they would test their 
buttermilk and see what the results are. Most creamery men test 
skim-milk often, but very few know anything about how their 
buttermilk tests. 

Upon the right amount of acidity depends the flavor your trade 
demands. This is entirely a matter of individual judgment ; some 
want a higher flavor, almost on the verge of acidity ; to others 
high flavor means a flavor that comes from sour milk and butter- 
milk ; others desire a clean, pure milk flavor. The true odor of 
perfect butter is a mild desirable flavor or combination of flavors, 
hard to describe and only met with in perfection under perfect 
conditions. 

New York desires a flavor that comes from cream testing as 
high as 6 per cent, while my trade in and around Boston requires 
a little over 4 per cent acidity. Right here, in my mind, is where 
you lay the corner-stone upon which you must build your reputa- 
tion. As flavor is about the only thing now that is scored off in 
our exhibits, to produce that desirable flavor depends upon condi- 
tion of the milk or the ripening of the cream. I run a cream of 
about 35 per cent fat test and find it gives me a better flavor than 
a thinner cream. I will tell you why I think so. First, if milk is 
off in any way the more you have of it in the cream the more of 
the undesirable bacteria will be developed and season your but- 
ter. Then if the milk is good the trouble will be that the acid 
will coagulate the casein and turn it into cheese ; a large amount 
of it will be taken up and absorbed by the globules of fat as they 
adhere to each other. Hence, you will have part butter and part 
cheese, which will give you that undesirable sour or cheesy flavor. 

The butter globules are round and the surface tension keeps 
them separated one from another. They are supposed to be pure 
as they come from the cow, and are seasoned by the milk sur- 



32 

rounding them. Now if we could take the globules out as soon as 
the milk was drawn from the cow and put them into a pickle made 
of pure pasteurized milk and keep them pure until we have a sufl3- 
cient amount of acidity developed to give us the desired flavor, we 
ought to have a perfect butter. So for this reason I run my cream 
as free from milk as I can, and I find that the 35 per cent cream 
is as heavy as I can churn and have a suflScient amount of liquid 
in the churn to float the butter and have it come in a granular 
form. 

I would advise the butter-makers of Massachusetts that are not 
having satisfactory results to try running a cream of not less than 
35 per cent fat ; to try the Farrington and Ward test, and use an 
acidity of 45 ; keep cream in a clean, pure place, cool it to your 
churning point the last thing before you leave the creamery for 
the night ; churn at a temperature that will bring butter in about 
45 minutes in a granular form ; wash once in a water not more 
than three degrees different from the churning temperature ; work 
and salt about f- ounces to the pound. Unless your conditions are 
much different from mine, you ought to have a butter that will 
score for extras. 

It is important that everything about the dairy should be scrupu- 
lously clean, for the flavor that you want to develop will not come 
where bad odors are allowed to exist. Butter culture I never use. 
I develop my flavor every day just as I want it in my cream. If 
for any reason you should have bad milk or poor cream you should 
improve the flavor of your butter by using some good starter, rush- 
ing the cream along and getting it out of the bad company it is in 
as soon as possible ; every one is known by the company he keeps. 

Making gold medal butter is not all that is needed for success 
in business. What good does it do to make an extra article if you 
cannot sell it for an extra price ? To be able to do this it is neces- 
sary to visit the markets of our large cities and see your butter as 
others see it. It has been instructive to me to visit the butter- 
rooms in Boston and study the wants of the customers as they 
come and go. 

Not long ago a buyer came in and asked the salesman if he had 
anything extra, and the salesman said he had an extra extra, and 
started to show him a pile of tubs across the room, when the buyer 
stopped him and said, " No, I cannot use butter put up in such 
dirty looking tubs, no matter how good it is ; it would be too hard 
to convince my trade that any one would put good butter in such 
dirty looking packages." He bought a poorer quality of butter 
that was more pleasing to the eye. After he went out I examined 



33 

this butter, and found that it was a very fine goods, but the tubs 
had been handled with dirty hands and carried to the station in a 
dirty wagon ; there was also butter on the outside of the tubs. 

I cannot too strongly urge you all to be particular in putting up 
your butter, to have it neat and attractive to the eye. Do not 
neglect any of the small things, then you will not be as apt to 
forget the large ones. The first appearance goes a great ways 
toward forming one's opinion of anything. I visit my customers 
often to study their wants. I never have any argument with my 
trade. I give them just what they ask for and try to please them 
so well that they are willing to pay me an extra price, not only for 
the fine quality of the butter, but for the certainty that they will 
get what they want when they want it. 



34 



DAIRY OUTLOOK IN NEW ENGLAND. 



By H. E. Alvord, Chief of Dairy Division, U. 8. Department of Agriculture. 



Twenty-five years ago I began to argue for the adoption of the 
creamery system in New England. It is less than twenty years 
since the first creamery was established east of the Mississippi. 
To meet the competition of the west creameries became a neces- 
sity in New England. 

Western competition is further increased by the extension of 
the creamery system to the extreme west and to the north-west, 
where milk and butter can be produced cheaper than in the east, 
and still more by the cheapness of transportation ; the immense 
product has offered an inducement for refrigerator cars and quick- 
time schedules. The department of agriculture in getting butter 
for export found that transportation to New York was more costly 
from Vermont than from Kansas, Dakota, Iowa or Minnesota. 
No shipment from a New England creamery to New York cost as 
little as that coming from Iowa. 

New England has certain natural advantages in nearness to 
market, ability to vary the product and to economize by the use of 
the waste products, but these advantages are offset by the higher 
cost of production. To remedy this, organization and co-opera- 
tion are needed. 

"We see more rivalry between creameries than we used to be- 
tween dairy farmers. This rivalry must cease or the weaker will 
go under. It would be better to pull together, and a union of or 
co-operation between the creameries is advisable ; not a creamery 
trust exactly, but a strong organization of creameries in New Eng- 
land as a business concern. Groups of creameries should unite, 
and if necessary suspend some of the plants, using these as gath- 
ering or separating stations. As the individual farmers' churns 
have lessened in number, so the creameries will unite and decrease 
in mere numbers. 

Few single creameries could bear the cost of inspecting patrons' 
barns, herds or methods, although it might be an economy in the 
end. But a group of creameries could do this just as neighboring 
towns unite and pay a school superintendent. No condensed milk 



35 

establishment thinks of conducting its business without this in- 
spection. All the creameries of New England could unite in one 
business scheme. A first-class business man, well paid, would be 
needed as an agent, and on him would depend success. 

The objects of this proposed organization of creameries would 
be as follows : — 

First. — To find new markets. 

Second. — To cultivate better and hold present markets. 

Third. — To prevent local competition. 

Fourth. — To encourage and guard specialties, such as the ice- 
cream and bottled cream trade. The cream trade is decidedly 
neglected in New England, and one or two towns are supplied 
with cream from Iowa. A few Maine creameries, however, have 
turned their attention to this feature. Pasteurized milk may be a 
fad, but it is a paying fad ; cultivate it. Unsalted or sweet butter 
also has a growing demand. 

Fifth. — To improve facilities of transportation. The work of 
securing better rates from St. Albans to Boston is well remem- 
bered as the result of union of effort and hard work. 

Sixth. — Possibly to buy creamery supplies and feed for patrons 
at wholesale. 

Seventh. — To assist in the enforcement of the State laws. 

Eighth. — To secure further legislation. 

The dairy interests of New England must do something about 
" process " butter. It is to-day a more serious evil or threat than 
oleo, which is under control of the law. There is no law against 
" process" or renovated butter, which is sold and used like oleo 
in the place of fresh butter. It deceives even the shrewd buyer 
at first. It has a higher per cent of butter fat than creamery 
butter because other elements have been taken out. It often has 
an undue proportion of water and contains less curdy matter than 
fresh butter. It is almost devoid of fine flavor, having only such 
as is introduced by rechurning with milk. The grain is deficient 
because the butter has been melted. There is no better work for 
the Hatch Experiment Station than to discover some easy way of 
identifying process butter ; probably chemicals and the magnifying 
glass will be needed. 

Pasteurizing cream for butter is but a repetition of the method 
used in renovating rotten and rancid butter. It is questionable 
whether the quality of butter or cream is as good with pasteuriza- 
tion as without. 

New England creameries are doing comparatively well now, and 
they are paying patrons a higher rate for raw material than else- 
where, although this raw material costs more. Nevertheless, New 



36 

England creameries net as much as elsewhere. Now, to hold this 
condition much longer organization is needed. The Massachusetts 
Creamery Association is good as far as it goes, and is a good 
foundation to build upon. 

New England creameries have little interest in the export trade, 
for their butter is not likely to go abroad. Government experi- 
ments show that New England butter is the least profitable to 
export. The average market price of New England butter was 
higher than elsewhere, and when this was sold in Manchester or 
Liverpool this year, left a narrow margin. Only one lot from New 
England sold for enough to pay expenses. Butter which cost in 
Chicago nineteen cents, and in New York a little over twenty 
cents, sold in Manchester for twenty-four cents. Taking out one 
and a half cents, cost of exporting and selling, a profit of about 
two and a half cents was left. 

Every pound of butter or cheese which can be got out of the 
country is of benefit to the New England creameries. The govern- 
ment has been at work for two years on this business. At first 
there was Australia, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and a part of 
Ireland to compete with. But at the present time the only rival 
is the Danish butter. 

This much having been accomplished, attention is being turned 
to Honolulu, Japan and China, where agencies are being estab- 
lished. This will relieve the surphis of the Pacific coast. 



Cr-p /, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

002 856 175 1 ^ 



